Question 155·Medium·Inferences
Bird collisions with glass windows are a major source of avian mortality. In field trials across several cities, glass panes printed with ultraviolet-reflective patterns visible to birds reduced collisions by about 70% for both day-active and night-migrating species, and this effect persisted under both bright interior lighting and dim conditions. By contrast, switching to plain tinted glass or thicker glass did not significantly reduce collision rates. Therefore, the researchers suggest that when retrofitting buildings to reduce bird strikes, it would be most effective to _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT "Which choice most logically completes the text?" questions that finish an argument, first find signal words like "Therefore," "Thus," or "So" to spot that the blank is a conclusion or recommendation. Then briefly restate the key evidence—what clearly worked or what pattern the author is highlighting. Finally, eliminate choices that (1) contradict the data, (2) rely on details the passage says were ineffective, or (3) introduce new, untalked-about ideas, and select the option that directly reflects and is fully supported by the passage’s strongest evidence.
Hints
Use the structure cue
Focus on the word "Therefore". It signals that the blank should complete the researchers’ conclusion or recommendation based on the results just described.
Identify what actually worked
Look carefully at which type of glass treatment reduced collision rates and which ones did not significantly reduce collisions. Ask yourself: which method showed strong, consistent success?
Connect the evidence to the retrofit recommendation
The blank asks what would be most effective when retrofitting buildings to reduce bird strikes. Which choice describes doing more of the one change that the study showed clearly helped birds avoid collisions?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the conclusion signal
Notice the word "Therefore" near the end of the passage. This word tells you that what comes after it—the part with the blank—is the conclusion or recommendation based on the experimental results described earlier.
Summarize the experimental findings
Identify what the researchers tested and what happened:
- Glass panes with ultraviolet-reflective patterns visible to birds reduced collisions by about 70%.
- This reduction occurred for both day-active and night-migrating birds and under both bright and dim lighting, so the effect is strong and consistent.
- Plain tinted glass and thicker glass "did not significantly reduce collision rates," meaning they did not work to solve the problem.
Match the conclusion to the strongest evidence
The blank asks what would be "most effective" when retrofitting buildings to reduce bird strikes. The recommendation should:
- Focus on reducing collisions, not just changing glass for some other reason.
- Be directly supported by the data as highly effective. So you want the option that reflects the one tested change that clearly reduced collisions.
Test each answer choice against the evidence
Now compare each option to the findings:
- Choices mentioning tinted or thicker glass are contradicted by the passage, which says these did not significantly reduce collisions.
- Another choice introduces a new idea (larger panes and seams) that was never tested or mentioned.
- Only “apply ultraviolet-reflective patterns to window surfaces so birds can detect the glass and avoid it” matches the method shown to reduce collisions by about 70%, so that is the correct answer.